Grating Clamp and Method for Fixing a Grating to a Support

ABSTRACT

A grating clamp is for fixing grating to a support. The grating clamp comprises: a fixing member being adapted to fix the grating to the support by bearing on top of two adjacent grating beams. The grating clamp further comprises: a first clamp member bearing against the grating and bearing against the support in a direction away from the grating; and a second clamp member bearing against the support in a direction towards the grating. A method is also for fixing a grating to a support.

There is provided a grating clamp. More precisely there is provided a grating clamp for fixing grating to a support, where a fixing member fixes the grating to the support by bearing on top of two adjacent grating beams. There is also provided a method for fixing a grating to a support.

Gratings are widely used for such purposes as building floors in industrial compounds. In recent years gratings made from composite materials haves been widely employed, particularly due to their corrosion properties.

Ordinary grating clamps that clamp the grating to its support have a weakness that they tend to work loose under vibration. This often results in damage to the surface layer of the support.

International patent application WO 1986/05228 A1 discloses a clamping system for fixing gratings to support beams, the clamping system including at least three elements; an upper saddle anchor or winged fastening element, a lower fastening element, and a bolt extending through the saddle anchor and through the lower fastening element.

Patent application JP 2000265647 discloses a grating clamp for fixing a grating to a support, where a first clamp member bears against the grating and against a clamp member on the support, and where a second clamp member bears against the support

Patent application U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,029 A discloses a clamp including a restraining dip for preventing spreading of adjacent beams on a grating.

The purpose of the invention is to overcome or reduce at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.

The purpose is achieved according to the invention by the features as disclosed in the description below and in the following patent claims.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a grating clamp for fixing grating to a support, the grating clamp comprising:

-   a fixing member being adapted to fix the grating to the support by     bearing on top of two adjacent grating beams, wherein the grating     clamp further comprises: -   a first clamp member bears against the grating and bearing against     the support in a direction away from the grating; and -   a second clamp member bears against the support in a direction     towards the grating.

The grating clamp is thus fixed to the support and will not start to move relative the support even if the bearing against the grating should work loose due to vibration.

The second clamp member may bear against a surface of the support facing away from the grating while the first clamp member or a third clamp member may bear against a surface of the support facing the grating.

The first clamp member may be resiliently biased against the grating. By letting the first clamp member being biased by pretension towards the grating, it is less probable that the grating will work loose due to vibration.

The third clamp member may be telescopically movable in the second clamp member.

The first clamp member and the second clamp member may be biased towards each other by use of a screw connection.

It has been found that the height of the second clamp member from the surface of the support and up to the first clamp member advantageously should be one millimetre less than the height of the grate beam.

The first clamp member may bear against the third clamp member, thus render a separate screw for the third clamp member superfluous.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method for fixing grating to a support, the method comprising the step: fixing the grating to the support by means of a fixing member, the fixing member bearing against two adjacent grating beams, wherein the method further comprises the steps:

-   letting a first clamp member bear against the grating and bear     against the support in a direction away from the grating; and -   letting a second clamp member bear against the support in a     direction towards the grating. Where the second clamp member bears     against a surface of the support facing away from the grating, the     method may further include letting the first clamp member or a third     clamp member bear against a surface of the support facing the     grating.

The method may further include letting the first clamp member be resiliently biased against the grating.

The grating clamp and method according to the invention overcome the problems experienced with grating clamps working loose due to vibration and thereby damage the surface of the support.

Below, an example of a preferred grating clamp and a method for fixing a grating is explained under reference to the enclosed drawings, where:

FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view a grating clamp according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows the grating clamp in FIG. 1 in a different view and with an additional fixing member attached;

FIG. 3 shows in a side view of the grating clamp a section of a grating and a support where a first clamp member is in an intermediate position;

FIG. 4 shows a section III-III in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows the same as in FIG. 3 where the first clamp member is in clamping position and where the additional fixing member is attached;

FIG. 6 shows a section V-V in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows in a perspective view a grating clamp in another embodiment; and

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the grating clamp in FIG. 7 and a section of the grating and the support.

On the drawings the reference number 1 denotes a grating clamp that includes a first clamp member 2 and a second clamp member 4. The second clamp member 4 has two spaced apart U-formed plate sides 6. In this preferred embodiment the two sides 6 are spaced apart by welded in nuts 8 whereof a first nut 8 a and a second nut 8 b are utilized for clamping purposes.

Of the two shanks 10, 12 of the U-formed sides the lower shank 10, referred to the normal working position, has a contact face 14. In the upper shank 12 the first nut 8 a is positioned. A first clamp screw 16 is screwed into the first nut 8 a. The first clamp screw 16 has a centre line 18 that is perpendicular relative the contact face 14. The first clamp screw 16 and the first out 88 forms a screw connection 20.

The first clamp member 2 is plate formed and is positioned generally parallel with the contact face 14, between the sides 6 and between the contact face 14 and the first clamp screw 16. The first clamp member 2 extends outside the second clamp member 4.

In FIG. 2 the grating clamp 1 is equipped with an additional fixing member 22 that is screwed to the grating clamp 1 by a second clamp screw 24 in the second nut 8 b.

In FIG. 3 the grating clamp is positioned between two adjacent grating beams 26 of a grating 28. The grating 28 rests on a support 30 that may be a beam of a structure not shown.

The first clamp member 2 rests on the lower flanges 32 of the two adjacent grating beams 26 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The contact face 14 of the second clamp member 4 bears against a surface 34 of the support 30 facing away from the grating 28.

In the intermediate stage of installation shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a gap 36 exists between the first clamp member 2 and a side 38 facing the grating 28 of the support 30.

As the first clamp screw 16 is tightened, the gap 36 is closed and the first clamp member 2 bears against the support 30. The first clamp member 2 is thus further biased against the grating 28 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The grating clamp 2 is clamping the grating 26 to the support 30. In addition the grating clamp 2 is clamped to the support 30. Even if the grating 28 should work loose, the grating clamp 2 is fixed to the support 30, thereby avoiding damage to any surface layer of the support 30.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 the additional fixing member 22 is mounted to the grating clamp 2 and biased against the grating beams 26.

A grating clamp 40 of another embodiment is shown in FIG. 7. The grating clamp 40 has a first clamp member 42 that in this embodiment has the same form as the additional fixing member 22 mentioned above, and is intended to bear at the top of two adjacent grating beams 26 as shown in FIG. 8.

A second clamp member 44 has a protruding contact face 46 that is designed to bear against the surface 34 of the support 30.

A third clamp member 48 has a protruding contact face 50 that is designed to bear at the surface 38 of the support 30. The third clamp member 48 is telescopic movable in the second clamp member 44 in order to open or dose the gap between the two contact faces 46, 50.

The first clamp member 42 bears against the third clamp member 48. A third clamp screw 52 extends through a bore 54 in the first clamp member 42 and into a nut 8 that is fixed to the second clamp member 44.

When the grating clamp 40 is positioned between two grating beams 26 as shown in FIG. 8, the contact face 46 of the second clamp member 44 is positioned under the surface 34 of the support 30. The third clamp screw 52 is tightened until the first clamp member 42 bears against the grating beams 42 thus clamping the grating 28 to the support 30.

As the third clamp screw 52 is further tightened, the contact face 50 of the third clamp member 48 bears against the surface 38 of the support 30. The grating clamp 40 is thus fixed to the support 30 and at the same time the first clamp member 42 is pre-tensioned towards the grating 28.

The grating clamp 40 is particularly well suited for use where the support 30 is covered with a not shown fire resistant material. 

1. A grating clamp (1, 40) for fixing grating (28) to a support (30) where a first clamp member (2, 42) bears against the grating (28) and a second clamp member (4, 44) bears against the support (30) in a direction towards the grating (28), characterized in that the first clamp member (2) or a third clamp member (48) bears against the support (30) in a direction away from the grating (28).
 2. A grating clamp (1, 40) according to claim 1 where the second clamp member (4, 44) bears against a surface (34) of the support (30) facing away from the grating (28), characterized in that the first clamp member (2) or the third clamp member (48) bears against a surface (38) of the support (30) facing the grating (28).
 3. A grating clamp (1, 40) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first clamp member (2, 42) is resiliently biased against the grating (28).
 4. A grating clamp (1, 40) according to claim 1, characterized in that the third clamp member (48) is telescopically movable in the second clamp member (44).
 5. A grating clamp (1, 40) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first clamp member (42) bears against the third clamp member (48).
 6. A grating clamp (1, 40) according to claim 1, characterized in that first clamp member (2, 42) and the second clamp member (4, 44) are biased towards each other by use of a screw connection (20).
 7. A method for fixing grating (28) to a support (30) where a first clamp member (2, 42) bears against the grating (28) and a second clamp member (4, 44) bears against the support (30) in a direction towards the grating (28), characterized in that the method includes letting the first clamp member (2) or a third clamp member (48) bear against the support (30) in a direction away from the grating (28).
 8. A method for fixing grating (38) to a support (30) according to claim 7 where the second clamp member (4, 44) bears against a surface (34) of the support (30) facing away from the grating (38), characterized in that the method further includes letting the first clamp member (2) or the third clamp member (48) bear against a surface (38) of the support (30) facing the grating (28).
 9. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the method further includes letting the first clamp member (2, 42) be resiliently biased against the grating
 28. 